1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an illuminated drink holding vessel assembly constructed to light up, change colors, and hold liquids, and in an embodiment, a liquid comprising reflective digestible particles, used in combination with the illuminated vessel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Illuminated drinking vessels are well known. For practical purposes, they illuminate the fluid retained by the vessel's vessel, and the rim and side walls of the vessel, for aesthetic purposes. The illuminated drinking vessels of the prior art are generally one, inseparable piece and do not use a magnetically actuated switch to activate the light emitting means of the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,068 discloses an illuminated drinking vessel (FIG. 4) that comprises an upper fluid-retaining vessel 12 and a lower hollow supporting stem 14. The upper vessel 12 and the lower stem 14 are not separable. An LED 28 extends upwardly from the hollow stem 14 and is disposed within a prismatic bubble 16 located in a lower end of the upper vessel 12. The vessel has two switch mechanisms in which to close first and second circuits between the LED and the battery.
The first switch mechanism 26 closes the first circuit between the LED 28 and the battery 34, and comprises a lift switch which is exteriorly mounted on the stem 14 adjacent to a lower end 18 of the upper vessel 12. To actuate this first switch and illuminate the vessel, the user grasps the supporting stem when lifting the drinking vessel.
The second switch mechanism 30 closes the second circuit 38 between the LED 28 and the battery 34, and is mounted adjacent to a lower end of the supporting stem 14. The second switch 30includes a movable base plate 32 that supports the stem when placed on a horizontal surface, and a micro-switch which is responsive to the vertical positioning of the base plate 32. Springs 40 are provided for biasing the base plate downwardly relative to the lower end of the supporting stem 14. To actuate this second switch and illuminate the vessel, the user fills the upper vessel 12 with a fluid when the supporting stem 14 is resting on a horizontal surface. The added weight of the liquid will apply a downward force to the springs and in turn will close the circuit. Patent '068 does not disclose interchangeable stem and vessel parts or a magnetic switch activation when a separable vessel is placed on a stem.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,558 discloses a gleamy goblet structure comprising a housing 8, a plurality of small colored bulbs 9, a mercury cell 10, and a multisection switch 4. The small colored bulbs 9 are located at the connecting base 15 between the upper vessel 2 and the lower stem 3. The bottom of the stem 3 houses the battery 10 and the multisection switch 4. The multisection switch 4 can turn on a single bulb to produce one color or turn on several bulbs to produce a combination of other colors. Patent '558 discloses illuminated stemware but does not disclose interchangeable stem and vessel parts or magnetic switch activation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,132 discloses a non-invasively actuated illuminated drinking vessel 2 and base 6, the base unit 10 comprising an LED 12, a battery 20, and a mechanism for activating and de-activating the LED's. (FIG. 1). The switch mechanism preferably includes a magnet 90 that is located approximately the same radial distance from the center 83 of the base unit as the overlapping section ends 62 and 71. FIGS. 4 and 5 depict the OFF and ON positions, respectively. When magnet 90 is not aligned with section ends 62 and 71, the circuit is open and the vessel is not illuminated, as shown in FIG. 4. To actuate the switch, the user rotates the base unit 10 to align magnet 90 with section ends 62 and 71, closing the circuit and illuminating the vessel, as shown in FIG. 5. Although the '132 patent discloses a magnet in the switch, it does not disclose stemware, interchangeable parts, nor a structure whereby interchanging the vessel on the stem actuates the magnetic switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,443 discloses a illuminated wine and drinking glass base, the base comprising a battery holder 9, an on/off switch 8, and an LED 7 covered by a flat, removable membrane material 15, shown in FIG. 2. The top of the narrow portion of the glass base has an aperture 2 in which to permanently affix a glass stem 11 of a wine glass 12, shown in FIG. 7. The LED 7 is mounted to point directly up through the top of the narrow portion of the glass base, allowing the base to vary in color with the LED. To actuate switch 8, a user manually switches on/off through an aperture 5 in the covering membrane. Patent '443 discloses stemware and an LED but does not disclose interchangeable stem and vessel parts or a magnetic activation switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,976,177 discloses an internally illuminated bottle. Specifically referring to FIG. 7, the invention comprises a two-piece bottle 70. The LED 74, battery 79, and switch 75 are housed within the bottom chamber 73 of the outer portion 72. If a reed-type hermetic switch is used, the outer portion 72 can be used as a glass to drink the beverage contained within the bottle. If a magnet is mounted within the bottom cavity 71B of the bottom portion 76, then separating the inner bottle 76 from the outer portion 72 would open the LED circuit and illuminate LED 74. Replacing the outer portion 72 would turn the LED off. This embodiment discloses a reed switch and illumination being dependent on the separation of two parts, however, it does not disclose stemware or interchangeable stem and vessel parts.
U.S. patent publication 2004/0202751 discloses an illuminated beverage-holding device comprising a beverage-holding portion 12 and a base 14. The base 14 contains LED 26, battery 28, and switch 30, shown in FIG. 3. The upper stem 20, connecting the beverage-holding portion 12 to the stem 20, contains a light-directing structure 18 that directs light to the inner and outer walls of the beverage-holding portion, rather than directly through the liquid. Publication '751 does not disclose interchangeable stem and vessel parts or a magnetic activation switch.
The prior art to date does not disclose the combination of an illuminated drinking vessel comprising stemware, interchangeable parts and a magnetic switch actuation. None of the prior art can be combined in this way to suggest these necessary modifications. There is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation that would have enabled a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify any prior art illuminated drinking vessels to allow interchangeable stemware vessels and a reed switch actuation.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an illuminated drinking vessel for aesthetically illuminating the fluid, the stemware and its surroundings.
Another object of the present invention is to provide users with an electrolyte drink mix that reflects light from the light emitting means of the illuminated drinking vessel so the vessel and the fluid are used in conjunction and hydrate the user.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide users with an easy way of storing the stemware by allowing the user to separate the upper and lower portions of the illuminated drinking vessel and magnetically affix each to a metal surface.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide users with an easy way of cleaning the stemware by allowing the user to separate the upper and lower portions of the illuminated drinking vessel.